claygirley's review against another edition
1.0
This one was BAD. Bad plot. Ridiculous premise. And a preview on the back of the book reveals a plot twist that happens 3/4 of the way through the book. Skip this one!
alifromkc1907's review against another edition
5.0
Gut Instinct Rating: 4.5
Characters: 4.5
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 4.5
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Overall: 4.83
Characters: 4.5
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 4.5
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Overall: 4.83
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
claudetteb's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. The action is predictable, the story unbelievable, and the best thing I can say about the writing is it's uneven at best, amateurish at worst. Certainly not one of his best books.
emslovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Book will be published February 14, 2012.*
From Goodreads: From the New York Times bestselling author of A Heartbeat Away and The Last Surgeon comes a shocking new novel at the crossroads of politics and medicine.
What if a well respected doctor inexplicably goes on a murderous rampage?
When Dr. John Meacham goes on a shooting spree the office, his business partner, staff, and two patients are killed in the bloodbath. Then Meacham turns the gun on himself.
The blame falls on Dr. Lou Welcome. Welcome worked with Meacham years before as a counselor after John's medical license had been revoked for drug addiction. Lou knew that John was an excellent doctor and deserved to be practicing medicine and fought hard for his license to be restored. After hearing the news of the violent outburst, Lou is in shock like everyone else, but mostly he's incredulous. And when he begins to look into it further, the terrifying evidence he finds takes him down a path to an unspeakable conspiracy that seems to lead directly to the White House and those in the highest positions of power.
At first glance, it's easy to think that maybe this is just another conspiracy book and *yawn* on that.
But NOPE. If you dismiss this because of that, you're in for a grave disappointment. Trust me.
Remember how I used to be a huge Robin Cook fan? Well, Oath of Office reminds me of the days when I loved Robin Cook, but without all the medical jargon to confuse me. It was AWESOME.
The action starts right off the bat with the prologue. I really liked getting the situation from Dr. Meacham's POV to start with. It made him a very sympathetic character for me and made me wonder immediately if there wasn't something rotten going on. He didn't act like I'd expect someone deranged and about to go on a killing spree to act. There was definitely something going on.
Enter Dr. Lou Welcome, an emergency physician and assistant director of the Physician's Wellness Organization. He's been overseeing Dr. Meacham's case, so naturally, the blame for the killings falls on Dr. Welcome. He's seeing some patterns around the area, so he's got to get out and investigate.
I was stunned at the outcome. Seriously stunned. When things started to come together, I'll admit that I expected some plot holes. SURELY, with a conspiracy of this magnitude, there would be some holes. There would be SOMETHING that just didn't fit. I didn't expect things to mesh together so well.
Readers, I WAS SO WRONG!! There wasn't a hole to be found, not anywhere. It was woven seamlessly. It fit together like a good puzzle should. It riveted me. I had to force myself to read something else, because I was determined to give all my currently reading books some page time, but I shouldn't have bothered. I couldn't concentrate on any of them until I'd finished this one!
One thing I really appreciated was that the science and medicine were explained in terms that a layperson would easily understand, without putting on airs that it was 'dumbed down'. Dr. Palmer (yes, he's a doctor!) never once stooped to condescending to the reader. He never once made me feel like I was too stupid to be reading his book.
This is one of those books that will suck you in from the beginning and never let you go. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat and it'll keep your heartrate WAY up. You'll think you have things figured out and then BAM. You'll be off in a different direction. I promise you, you're in for a serious treat when you pick it up. I'm giving Oath of Office a 'Pick Me' rating because I think you should all take my advice and pick it up!
From Goodreads: From the New York Times bestselling author of A Heartbeat Away and The Last Surgeon comes a shocking new novel at the crossroads of politics and medicine.
What if a well respected doctor inexplicably goes on a murderous rampage?
When Dr. John Meacham goes on a shooting spree the office, his business partner, staff, and two patients are killed in the bloodbath. Then Meacham turns the gun on himself.
The blame falls on Dr. Lou Welcome. Welcome worked with Meacham years before as a counselor after John's medical license had been revoked for drug addiction. Lou knew that John was an excellent doctor and deserved to be practicing medicine and fought hard for his license to be restored. After hearing the news of the violent outburst, Lou is in shock like everyone else, but mostly he's incredulous. And when he begins to look into it further, the terrifying evidence he finds takes him down a path to an unspeakable conspiracy that seems to lead directly to the White House and those in the highest positions of power.
At first glance, it's easy to think that maybe this is just another conspiracy book and *yawn* on that.
But NOPE. If you dismiss this because of that, you're in for a grave disappointment. Trust me.
Remember how I used to be a huge Robin Cook fan? Well, Oath of Office reminds me of the days when I loved Robin Cook, but without all the medical jargon to confuse me. It was AWESOME.
The action starts right off the bat with the prologue. I really liked getting the situation from Dr. Meacham's POV to start with. It made him a very sympathetic character for me and made me wonder immediately if there wasn't something rotten going on. He didn't act like I'd expect someone deranged and about to go on a killing spree to act. There was definitely something going on.
Enter Dr. Lou Welcome, an emergency physician and assistant director of the Physician's Wellness Organization. He's been overseeing Dr. Meacham's case, so naturally, the blame for the killings falls on Dr. Welcome. He's seeing some patterns around the area, so he's got to get out and investigate.
I was stunned at the outcome. Seriously stunned. When things started to come together, I'll admit that I expected some plot holes. SURELY, with a conspiracy of this magnitude, there would be some holes. There would be SOMETHING that just didn't fit. I didn't expect things to mesh together so well.
Readers, I WAS SO WRONG!! There wasn't a hole to be found, not anywhere. It was woven seamlessly. It fit together like a good puzzle should. It riveted me. I had to force myself to read something else, because I was determined to give all my currently reading books some page time, but I shouldn't have bothered. I couldn't concentrate on any of them until I'd finished this one!
One thing I really appreciated was that the science and medicine were explained in terms that a layperson would easily understand, without putting on airs that it was 'dumbed down'. Dr. Palmer (yes, he's a doctor!) never once stooped to condescending to the reader. He never once made me feel like I was too stupid to be reading his book.
This is one of those books that will suck you in from the beginning and never let you go. It'll keep you on the edge of your seat and it'll keep your heartrate WAY up. You'll think you have things figured out and then BAM. You'll be off in a different direction. I promise you, you're in for a serious treat when you pick it up. I'm giving Oath of Office a 'Pick Me' rating because I think you should all take my advice and pick it up!
faithfulgirl4's review against another edition
4.0
This book was intense from the start! The best thing about this book (for me, anyway) was that I was teaching on GMOs while reading this book! I was able to recommend this book to a group of teenagers. I'm always grateful to be able to do that. :)
The President takes an Oath to protect the citizens of the country for which he/she is in charge of for the period of time that they have been elected. What happens when you don't know what's going on in your country? What is someone tries to tell you and you choose to ignore them (even when it's your own spouse?) Could you live with yourself if you were President and you were inadvertently signing off on policies that could damage your people?
Lou has had some issues in his life but he has been able to control them with the help of his sponsor. Now, he wants to help others. When one of his mentees goes on a rampage and kills seven people in his office, Lou is feeling a bit responsible for finding out what's going on. He just doesn't see the end result coming. Who would have thought that a combination of chemicals and corn would cause someone to go beserk? Even more so, the strange events at the cafe have Lou wondering what's going on. Once Lou meets the local misfit and sees his bug collection, things begin to fall into place.
I highly recommend this book. I have always enjoyed reading [a:Michael Palmer|110485|Michael Palmer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1271085641p2/110485.jpg]'s works and this one tops them all. As a reader, you may want to know that there is strong language and murder scene descriptions in this book. Palmer has a way of wrapping around the reader's brain early on and engrossing them in tales of medical and scientific wonder. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Palmer's work. I have a few older books of his to catch up on! :)
Many thanks to Michael Palmer for providing the book for review!
The President takes an Oath to protect the citizens of the country for which he/she is in charge of for the period of time that they have been elected. What happens when you don't know what's going on in your country? What is someone tries to tell you and you choose to ignore them (even when it's your own spouse?) Could you live with yourself if you were President and you were inadvertently signing off on policies that could damage your people?
Lou has had some issues in his life but he has been able to control them with the help of his sponsor. Now, he wants to help others. When one of his mentees goes on a rampage and kills seven people in his office, Lou is feeling a bit responsible for finding out what's going on. He just doesn't see the end result coming. Who would have thought that a combination of chemicals and corn would cause someone to go beserk? Even more so, the strange events at the cafe have Lou wondering what's going on. Once Lou meets the local misfit and sees his bug collection, things begin to fall into place.
I highly recommend this book. I have always enjoyed reading [a:Michael Palmer|110485|Michael Palmer|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1271085641p2/110485.jpg]'s works and this one tops them all. As a reader, you may want to know that there is strong language and murder scene descriptions in this book. Palmer has a way of wrapping around the reader's brain early on and engrossing them in tales of medical and scientific wonder. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Palmer's work. I have a few older books of his to catch up on! :)
Many thanks to Michael Palmer for providing the book for review!
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
When Dr. John Meacham goes on a shooting spree killing his partner, staff and two patients and then turns the gun on himself all the blames falls to Dr. Lou Welcome. Dr. Welcome was working with a group that helps doctors regain their licenses. In this case the doctor’s license had been removed for alcoholism and losing his temper with a patient. He had worked with Meacham for years and knew Dr. Meacham was an excellent doctor and advocated strongly to have his license returned. When he learns about what happened he is shocked like everyone else but he believes the authorities are missing something. Dr. Welcome just can’t let it go so he starts to investigate himself. What he discovers is truly terrifying.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is quite a suspense thriller. I used the terms “scary good” back in 2010 to describe The 19th Element by John L. Betcher and this story tops that. Betcher’s story was about Al Quada terrorists striking in the Midwestern United States. Oath of Office is about Americans terrorizing other Americans through products we need to survive. All in the name of greed and the path leads directly to the White House.
I would say it is Spine-Chillingly Excellent!!!
The truly scary part is that if you do an internet search for the scientific terms in this book they are out there. Hopefully we can trust that they are being used for good and there are regulations in place to save us from something like this occurring. But with all the deregulation talk spinning around Washington could make this story more fact the fiction.
Michael Palmer is a bestselling author for very good reason. He writes an extraordinary story. This book will hold you in its grasp tightly from the first page until the very last word.
I never thought of myself as a squeamish person but chapter 39 almost did me in. That’s my only caution about this book. The book is fabulous and I give it my highest recommendation. I can honestly say this is the best book I have read in a very long time.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is quite a suspense thriller. I used the terms “scary good” back in 2010 to describe The 19th Element by John L. Betcher and this story tops that. Betcher’s story was about Al Quada terrorists striking in the Midwestern United States. Oath of Office is about Americans terrorizing other Americans through products we need to survive. All in the name of greed and the path leads directly to the White House.
I would say it is Spine-Chillingly Excellent!!!
The truly scary part is that if you do an internet search for the scientific terms in this book they are out there. Hopefully we can trust that they are being used for good and there are regulations in place to save us from something like this occurring. But with all the deregulation talk spinning around Washington could make this story more fact the fiction.
Michael Palmer is a bestselling author for very good reason. He writes an extraordinary story. This book will hold you in its grasp tightly from the first page until the very last word.
I never thought of myself as a squeamish person but chapter 39 almost did me in. That’s my only caution about this book. The book is fabulous and I give it my highest recommendation. I can honestly say this is the best book I have read in a very long time.
skinnypenguin's review
4.0
Good thriller. Interesting premise about how altering our food could have possible bad effects on people. Shows corporate greed with the corn baron willing to do anything to make money. Also shows how power corrupts with the president more concerned with reelection than the health of the people he governs. Really like Dr. Welcome, he has his own problems but is always willing to help others.
rhonda's review
5.0
Dr. Lou Welcome is in a fight for his very survival after finding a dangerous flaw in corn that has been genetically modified. His search for answers goes all the way to the White House. This is an intense, fast-paced thriller with a cast of interesting characters. Michael Palmer's Oath of Office is a must read. Although fiction, it makes one question the safety of our food and modifications to it. How much is too much? How far will some go?
brettt's review
2.0
Once he got a handle on his own substance abuse, Dr. Lou Welcome decided he would try to help others in the same boat. One of them was Dr. Jon Meacham, who one afternoon seems to snap, killing everyone in his office before shooting himself. Welcome knows Meacham was doing well and can't understand his rampage, so he does a little investigating to try to see what happened and salvage his own work with medical personnel in recovery in Michael Palmer's medical suspense thriller Oath of Office.
But then a number of people in the Washington, D.C. suburb where Meacham lived seem to make similar inexplicably reckless choices, and Welcome finds himself with more of a mystery than he thought. Throw in a high-level White House connection and this iceberg may have secrets that some folks wouldn't hesitate to kill to keep.
Palmer writes with a smooth style and has a pretty deft hand at weaving medical details into his narrative. He creates engaging characters and relationships between them, especially Welcome and his teenage daughter Emily. But he telegraphs a lot of his endgame and derails that story with a very late-page expository memo about the science behind his villain's scheme, and more than one twist in the plot relies on Welcome either being high-octane stupid or never having read a thriller novel before. Or maybe both. Palmer also teases a relationship that has no possibility of going anywhere and just manages to take up space. Oath isn't critical, but it's hardly ready to be up and about.
Original available here.
But then a number of people in the Washington, D.C. suburb where Meacham lived seem to make similar inexplicably reckless choices, and Welcome finds himself with more of a mystery than he thought. Throw in a high-level White House connection and this iceberg may have secrets that some folks wouldn't hesitate to kill to keep.
Palmer writes with a smooth style and has a pretty deft hand at weaving medical details into his narrative. He creates engaging characters and relationships between them, especially Welcome and his teenage daughter Emily. But he telegraphs a lot of his endgame and derails that story with a very late-page expository memo about the science behind his villain's scheme, and more than one twist in the plot relies on Welcome either being high-octane stupid or never having read a thriller novel before. Or maybe both. Palmer also teases a relationship that has no possibility of going anywhere and just manages to take up space. Oath isn't critical, but it's hardly ready to be up and about.
Original available here.